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Ron Coletta, who is now accompanying Guru Maharaj Ji in India, last week wrote this letter to Joan Leahy, housemother at the Denver residence. Joan in turn read it at a satsang program:

Dear Joan,

Jai Satchitanand.

By the Grace of Maharaj Ji everything has been really beautiful here. We've been here for about six days, it's hard to keep track of the time. We came here by plane and car after being in Lucknow for about two days. Many premies came, about fifty thousand in all. But unfortunately most of these premies didn't get to see Maharaj Ji, except for one five minute midnight darshan at a hall where only about one-third could fit. There were many broken-hearted premies who left Lucknow without seeing Dad or Mom at all.

Now we are in Bihar and it's the driest and hottest season in the middle of God's country. Between Patna and Calcutta, this is the most beautiful ashram I've ever been in. The love and devotion of the premies in Bihar very easily surmounts any discomfort from the heat. Maharaj Ji and Durga Ji and Premlata are very very happy here and of course, so is everyone else. The ashram itself is a very beautiful building made by the premies from scratch. They even made their own bricks which on one side of each brick is stamped DLM in English, and in Hindi on the other side. How fantastic are these premies! They own about 100 acres. In one direction the land goes as far as the eye can see. Since it's in the middle of nowhere, the land is cheap and we can easily buy more.

About three days ago, Durga Ji & Maharaj Ji and Raja Ji & Claudia had a double wedding - Indian Bihar style, it was really beautiful. The ceremony itself is in the form of a story. A king of one kingdom wants to marry a princess or a queen from another kingdom. To win the princess, the king must do battle with the other kingdom. The way it was done here was like this: Guru Maharaj Ji and Raja Ji rode on top of a blue and white jeep van from Punjabi Bagh ashram. They couldn't get an elephant here, so they did the next best thing. The top of the van had a carpeted wooden platform on it with a chair and a roof above it. Guru Maharaj Ji and Raja Ji were able to ride atop this "elephant" to go to their princesses. We, Brent and John Miller and I, went out from the ashram with Guru Maharaj Ji and Raja Ji.

Prem Rawat: Divine Times magazine The "elephant" was parked out front. Guru Maharaj Ji mounted the chair and Raja Ji sat behind him. We rode on the bumper; Sampuranand and Bob rode on top in front of Maharaj ji. There were so many completely blissed out premies surrounding the "elephant" it was a little like a battle was really happening. It made everything that much more intense. As we started to leave the front steps of the ashram, the van kept stalling and smoking. It finally got rolling for about twenty yards, just enough to make it out of the gate. Then it died, and would no longer run on its own. The crowd of premies surrounding the jeep just started pushing it. We were just outside the gate on one side, getting ready to go back through the gate on the other side of the driveway, when I felt totally lost. With all the people surrounding us, it was hard to see from which direction we came and where we had to go back to. We were supposed to re-enter the gate and go back to the ashram - this was to represent Guru Maharaj Ji and Raja Ji leaving their kingdom and going to the kingdom of their princesses. It was really like being in the middle of some kind of battlefield. By the time we got back to the ashram, it seemed like four hours had passed - sometimes, it seemed if Guru Maharaj Ji dismounted the elephant, only God knows what would happen, but by his grace, he dismounted safely and went into the palace of the princesses. We went upstairs where Durga Ji and Claudia were getting dressed. When Durga Ji came out of her room and met Guru Maharaj Ji, it was like an Indian movie scene. Guru Maharaj Ji asked her if she was ready and Durga Ji, super-composed, nodded her head. We all left again and went to the stage outside where the ceremony was to take place. This time, we walked - which was a lot quicker than the elephant, I would say. They were all four decorated so beautifully. Bob Mishler and I were the fathers of the brides, so we sat next to the two couples, flanking their either side. So, we also participated in the ceremony on stage. There was rice given to all six of us and then thrown into the pile, signifying bargaining for the princesses. This went on for about an hour or two, with mantras being shouted by premies and the whole show. It was really a beautiful ceremony. Princesses attached, we went back to to the ashram - or the palace - where we tried to get back to earth - every step of the way was like a divine movie being filmed and every frame of the film seemed like it lasted for ages. About five thousand premies were at the wedding.

That was three days ago and we're still high. The day before the wedding Maharaj Ji gave a beautiful sock-it-tothem satsang in Hindi about how every devotee was now being given the chance to see who is true and who is not. Every day, premies come and have darshan and satsang by Maharaj Ji and Durga Ji and then leave. There's a continuous flow which is really nice. This way, the ashram doesn't get overloaded and darshan lines go quickly. We'll be leaving here in a day or two. There's a program in Katmandu, Nepal on the 26th and 27th, so we're getting visas for that - should be far out. I hope it's cooler there, but it doesn't matter except for the comfort of Durga Ji and Maharaj Ji and Premlata. Guru Maharaj Ji is re-organizing the officers of the Mission and rewriting the Mission's charters so we'll probably come back to India after the Katmandu orooram.

Premlata is really doing well, she's truly the Lord's child. She hardly cries and adjusts instantly wherever she is. For most babies, when they're her age, they stay home all the time, but to Premlata, the whole world is her home. She's really grown, even since the first time I saw her in Miami. To say she's the most beautiful baby in the world is an understatement. Durga Ji is doing fine, she's really happy here and of course, Guru Maharaj Ji is too. When the premies see Durga Ji they just get completely spell-bound - it's so beautiful to see how much love they have for her. I hope everything is as wonderful there as it is here.

Jai Satchitanand to all the premies. Love,

Ron

For more details on Maharaj Ji's visit to India, see page 7.

Its Time to Decide

(continued on pages 8 & 9)